Wednesday, 4 September 2013

A Letter: To my pre-mum self

Dear Jade,

At twenty you will give birth to your first baby.

Are you shocked?

Don't be, it's fine, the roller coaster of emotions you go through does slow down, not stop, but you will at least get to pause for a second and throw up. Morning sickness. It will last right up until the day before you give birth so get used to it.

Tip: Your attempts at making yourself eat before you travel because you should, will not end pleasantly, so don't bother.

Your family are supportive and so are your friends, for the next few weeks everyone will ask,
"What did your mum say," but Mum is fine, and more excited than you will ever be. ( Mum is going to be the best nan.)

In January your princess is born, you don't choose Destiney-Blue or Raiiyn. I know, I know, I know how much you love the name Raiiyn, but you out grow it and instead let your nan choose a name and you will love it straight away.

When Princess arrives, you will have no shortage of gifts and cards and visitors and mum will make sure you write thank you cards, so don't moan, it's the courteous thing to do. You are back in your pre-pregnancy clothes almost straight away...but be careful the foods you didn't like during pregnancy, you are going to be able to eat now and well....things get out of control.

But hey! don't worry because you will have strangers left, right and centre trying to advise you on what is best for your baby so that will be the least of your worries.

"Are you breastfeeding? Breast is best"
"Give her food at four months not six"
"When Billy was younger..."

Arggggghhh! The list goes on and you will be frustrated, but you know what is best for Princess.

Yes, you do know what is best!

It might sound daunting, and it will be the first few months, but then your motherly instincts will kick in and you will soon know what to do without even having to think twice about it.

Don't go crazy for her first Christmas, it is exciting and there are soooo many girly things but the stacking cups you want to buy are not going to get used and will stay in the box until she turns three when they are then used as 'tea cups' for her kitchen set.

I'm not saying it's all going to run smoothly, you will shed tears when Princess refuses to transition to bottle or beaker cup and potty training will drive you....potty; but you will live to tell the tale.

And before you know it, it will be coming up to her first day at school and you will be buying uniforms and ironing in name tags, all mature and mumsy and you love it, and you will have a little Princess who loves you.

I love this! I wish I could tell my pre-mum self lots of things (if fact I wish I could tell my last-week-self things sometimes and avoid all my mistakes!). I think most of all I would like to say 'Don't try too hard... you have nothing to prove!'. x

What a lovely letter. I've had so many of these thoughts myself, things I'd love to have been told, an honest sit down over a cup of tea with proper advice, but then these things are really only things you can learn by experiencing them! I'm glad you're getting on so well with your Princess! Best of luck with everything going forward.